Elements of Creation, Book One: Fire
by Firehawk242
Summary: Twenty-five years have passed since the Blood Spirals were defeated. Now a new threat has formed from the remnants of the Blood Spiral and splinter groups of the Organization. The Elementals are on the prowl and it's up to four young seekers to stop them, but first they'll have to learn to work together. WARNING: DEAD FIC.
1. A Volcanic Meeting

**Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers. It would be nice if I did, but I don't.**

**Hello and welcome. For those who may have followed me over from one of my other stories, welcome back, and welcome to the world of Huntik. Given the relative lack of Huntik stories on this site, I will conduct a brief explanation of the Huntik universe for anyone who hasn't already seen the show. Anyone familiar with the show can skip the next paragraph.**

**Okay, Huntik is sort of like a mash-up of Pokemon, Harry Potter, and Indiana Jones. Strange, but it works. Very, very, very well. In the Huntik Universe there are certain objects called Amulets. These objects usually take the form of a pendant or ring, although they've been known to come in other forms. Within each Amulet resides a creature known as a Titan. When someone picks up an amulet and successfully bonds with the Titan inside, that person becomes a Seeker. As a Seeker, that person has access to numerous magical abilities, and gains the ability to summon, or Invoke, the Titans within any Amulets they may possess. This is not as easy as it sounds however, as Invoking Titans draws upon the strength of the person invoking them. The stronger the Titan, the harder it is to Invoke it, and the harder it is to keep it invoked. Titans tend to resemble mythological creatures. For example, Medusa, the Golem, and Fenris the Wolf were all Titans. Many famous people throughout history were Seekers. The show specifically states that Joan of Arc, Jason of the Argonauts, and Thor were all in fact seekers. There's a fairly extensive backstory for the show that I won't get into here, but suffice it to say that when they sealed away the ancient evil, they may not have put a strong enough lock on the door.**

**I'd give a quick overview of the characters, but that would take up too much space, so let's move on to this story. As always, review are welcome. I'm always glad to hear readers' thoughts and, if I have the time, address said thoughts. I think that's everything. Time to roll, or as Dante would put it: "Seekers, we have a mission."**

Tristan MacBaen was having a bad day. This was supposed to be a routine mission, and the last one before his teacher set him loose. Instead he'd gotten into a fight over some useless kid who'd had the bad luck to find an Amulet. He'd been walking along the streets of Vancouver when he'd run across three men who'd cornered the kid in an alley way. Normally he'd have stayed out of it, but the bright red robes were not typical of street thugs. No, these were Seekers.

"Give us the Amulet kid, and we'll let you live." One of the robed figures said.

"A-a-a-and what-what if I d-d-d-don't?" The kid stammered out. He looked younger than Tristan, maybe seventeen years old.

"Then we'll have to take it." The man didn't seem at all unhappy about this. "Embrace madness! Harlequin!"

A pink demonic clown appeared. The kid broke down and curled into a ball, muttering "It's all a dream, this is just a dream."

"Dance with the night, Shadow Cat!" Tristan whispered. A black cat the size of a person appeared beside him. Standing on her hind legs, she held a pair of daggers in her clawed hands. "Hide yourself." He whispered. The anthropomorphic cat vanished into the shadows of the alleyway.

"Give us the Amulet, NOW!" The robed man demanded, the pink horror moving forwards.

"Curse my conscience." Tristan muttered. "Leave him alone." He stated in a voice that seemed to echo through the alley. The three robed thugs turned towards him.

"Who are you?" The man demanded, looking the newcomer over. His dark hair was the same color as his clothes, pure black. Despite the warm summer air, he wore an equally black jacket. His eyes were just as dark, and the look in them sent an involuntary chill down the man's spine.

"Doesn't matter. Leave the kid alone."

"No one speaks to the Elementals like that!"

"Elementals? Who are they? You look like Blood Spiral remnants."

"The Blood Spiral is dead! The Elementals promise power!"

Tristan sighed. He'd heard this sort of thing before. "I take it you're going to fight me now?"

"Get him!"

"I thought so. Shadow Cat!" The cat-like form appeared from the shadows and slashed her twin daggers across the demented clown, reducing it to a ball of light which flew back into the amulet it had come from.

"What?" Tristan took advantage of their brief distraction to dive into their midst. A quick elbow to the chest drove one to the ground, gasping for breath. A spinning kick caught the woman in the head, knocking her out instantly. The leader threw a solid punch, but Tristan ducked under it, grabbed the mans wrist, and hit his arm with a series of quick jabs. when he released the arm, it would no longer move. He repeated the process with the man's other arm, finishing it with a blow to the head which knocked the man out cold. A swift kick to the head knocked out the first man he'd hit.

Twelve seconds. Not bad, but still two seconds short of his best time against three opponents. The boy just stared at him.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you." _Teacher is going to call me every kind of idiot in the book when he finds out about this. _"What's your name?"

"E-E-Evan. Evan Haley."

"Evan, you'd better come with me. I know a place where we can hide that Amulet." Tristan went to touch the small pendant Evan held in his hands, but was forced to pull his hand back when it shocked him. Hard.

"What's the matter?" Evan asked, regaining his composure.

"It's bonded with you. That makes things more complicated."

"Bonded?"

"Come with me. I'll explain as we go."

"Where?"

"To Mount Saint Helens."

* * *

Cecilia Lambert-Casterwill was having a bad day. Go to Mount Saint Helens. Retrieve the Titans from the volcano. Preferably without setting it off in the process. A simple mission. But now her brother Adrian was late and these idiots wanted to go in too. She was getting angry, and she was not known for handling her anger well.

"Let us through!" The lead woman commanded.

"Please, let us pass, or we shall have to use force." The man beside her said.

"You are still soft Edward." The woman said.

"Master Kiel told us to keep a low profile, Mistress Ivain."

"Well you're not passing and I don't care if you use force. Bring it on!" There were only five of them. They barely even outnumbered her.

"As you wish." The man reached into his sleeve and pulled out an amulet. "War Smith!" He shouted. An armored man with a flaming beard appeared, wielding a hammer in each hand.

"Good!" The woman smiled a predatory smile. "Pyrothon!" A snake made of fire appeared before her. It uncoiled and reared up, its head five feet off the ground.

"Redcap!"

"Mind Drone!"

"Marauder!"

A grey skinned beast with vicious claws, an insectile creature with giant eyeball for a head, and an armored figure with blades attached to its forearms joined the other creatures.

Cecilia grinned. This was going to be fun. She reached into the pouch at her belt and pulled out three amulets.

"Freelancer, Iron Squire, Titania, fight with me!"

Two soldiers, both of whom carried a shields and one who carried a lance appeared before Cecilia, but the Titan that truly commanded attention was the one in the middle. Like some Amazon warrior, but made of living steel, the Titan towered over the battlefield, a javelin in each hand.

"Impressive." The man named Edward said. "But how long can you keep three titans invoked?"

"Let's find out." Cecilia said, a feral smile upon her lips.

* * *

"So there's a secret world of magic, monsters, and artifacts?" Evan asked.

"Yep."

"And now I'm part of it."

"Yep."

"Because some stupid amulet decided it liked me."

"Yep."

"This sucks."

"Yep."

"Is that all you're going to say?"

"No, but you're just restating the obvious."

"I-"

"Look kid, this isn't a game. This is the real thing. And now you can't escape it. It sucks, I know."

"Kid?" Evan bristled, his short sandy blonde hair trembling as he shook with pent up emotion. "I'm not a kid! And you're not that much older than me!"

"If you're as old as I think you are, I'm four years older than you, and I have not had an easy life. I grew up an orphan, and for the last twelve years, this has been my life. Compared to me, you are a kid."

"Well I- What's that up ahead?"

"Sounds like a fight."

The two crept up to a ridge that lay within sight of the volcano's base. Peering over, Tristan saw quite the battle going on. One girl, her long, bright red hair streaming in the wind, facing off against five of those robed creeps from before. She had three Titans fighting with her, against five from the other side, but even at those odds, she clearly held the upper hand.

She spun through them, feet lashing out in a beautiful split kick to catch two of them in the chest. They went down and didn't get back up. The battle between the Titans was going well too for her. The Iron Squire and Freelancer had tag teamed the Marauder, crushing it between their shields before splitting up to fight the Mind Drone and Redcap one on one. The metal warrior was giving a virtuoso display of skill and speed, much like her seeker. She danced between the snake and smith, battering at both.

"She's amazing!" Evan remarked.

A knee to the chin brought down a third robed figure to the ground, and the Mind Drone and Redcap were soon nothing more than balls of light, returning to the amulets from whence they came. The battle seemed to pause for a second as the two sides squared off again.

Tristan shook his head. "She's a fool. This is a trap."

* * *

"Ready to give up yet?" Cecilia's smile had become a full fledged grin. Her hair was tangled, she had dirt all over her clothes, and she was having the time of her life. Her three Titans stood beside her, facing down her enemies.

"Very good Cecilia Casterwill." The man named Edward said. "The rumors of your skill did not do you justice."

"I go by Lambert." Cecilia scowled.

"Ever your father's daughter I see."

"Leave now or you'll find out just how much my father and I have in common."

"We already know." Ivain said. "You're both easy to fool! Elementals!"

Ten more robed minions appeared from various hiding places.

"Salamandros!"

"Pyronite!"

A pair of fire breathing lizards and a creature made of flaming iron rods appeared.

"Attack!"

"Fireswarm!"

"Flamestrike!"

Jets of fire and dark embers bored down upon Cecilia.

"Armorbrand!" She shouted, raising a forcefield around herself. Freelancer and Iron Squire did their best to hide behind their shields, but the barrage was relentless.

"Titantia, Javelin Throw!"

The metal warrior threw her javelins at the two lizards, completely impaling them and returning them to their amulets, but leaving Titania utterly defenseless.

"Ender Flame!" Ivain yelled, a powerful jet of flame shooting from her hands and annihilating the unarmed titan. Freelancer and Iron Squire both joined Titania as their shields finally gave out. Cecilia fell to her knees, gasping for breath as she struggled to maintain her shield.

"Null Curse!"

A ball of black and red energy slammed into the shield, utterly shattering it. Cecilia was tossed backwards where she lay moaning.

"You four!" Ivain commanded. "Keep an eye on her. We're going to take her back to Master Kiel in person."

"Our mission is to retrieve the Titans." Edwards said.

"No reason we can't bring Miss Casterwill here as a present for Master Kiel. After all, he still has a score to settle with her parents." Ivain turned to the open end of the lava tube Cecilia had been guarding. "The rezt of you come with me. We're going to find those amulets."

* * *

"We have to help her!" Evan said.

"Why am I cursed with a conscience?" Tristan muttered. "Time for your first lesson." He turned to Evan. "You're going to invoke your first titan."

"What? How?"

"Focus on the amulet, and your bond with the titan within. Ask for its help."

"I- I'll try." Evan scrunched up his face, peering at the amulet in his hands. "Its name is... Lightning Ant?"

"Strange name for a titan, but whatever. Invoke it."

"Swarm! Lightning Ant!"

A small creature burst from the amulet in a blast of light, coalescing in front of Evan. It was maybe the size of cat, and it appeared to be made of thin metal rods held together in the shape of an ant by arcs of electricity.

"Good. It's not much, but it'll help." Tristan pulled an amulet from inside his jacket. "Forest Ranger!"

A human like figure clad in a blend of browns and greens formed in front of them. He held a bow in his left hand and a quiver of arrows hung from his back.

"Let's do this." Tristan said.

**A/N: So, that was the first chapter of my new series. Right now, I expect five "books" to come out of this, so this is going to take a while. And now for the Holotome segement!**

**The Holotome segment is going to be a fairly regular feature, giving some information about each new Titan I introduce, and if there's something else I feel ought to be explained, that will go here too. So, without further ado, I give you the Holotome!**

**-Shadow Cat. Attack: 2. Defense: 1. Type: Gaia-Titan scout. Size: Average. Special ability: Shadow Blend. Seeker: Tristan MacBaen. ****Possibly the simplest Titan introduced here, Shadow Cat is basically Catwoman from the Batman series taken a bit too literally and armed with a pair of daggers. Her Shadow Blend ability allows her to literally become part of a shadow. She's not very strong fighter, relying on stealth and surprise to get the job done.**

**-War Smith. Attack: 3. Defense: 4. Type: Draco-Titan warrior. Size: Average. Special ability: Flame Immunity. Seeker: Edward Ralon. War Smith is a beast of a Titan, built around smashing the enemy until something gives. While not the brightest fighter, War Smith's durability and perseverance allow it to keep going long after most Titans would have called it quits.**

**-Pyrothon. Attack: 4. Defense: 2. Type: Meso-Titan warrior. Size: Large. Seeker: Ivain Lewis. Pyrothon is exactly what you'd think it is, a python made of fire. There's not much else to say about it actually, so let's move on.**

**-Titania. Attack: 6. Defense: 4. Type: Draco-Titan warrior. Size: Average. Special ability: Dual Wielder. Seeker: Cecilia Lambert-Casterwill. Titania is living statue made of solid steel. Despite her weight, she is astoundingly agile, and is capable of holding her own with even the most powerful of titans. A close relative of Dante's famous Caliban, Titania has a more European look to her armored body, and is Cecilia's signature Titan.**

**-Salamandros. Attack: 3. Defense: 1. Type: Litho-Titan sorcerer. Size: Small. Special ability: Flame Breath. Seeker: Generic Titan among the Elementals, issued to low level recruits. Salamandros is a fire breathing lizard the roughly the same height and length as a medium sized dog. Capable of spewing fire from its mouth, this small beast packs some serious firepower. (I apologize for the stupid pun. I couldn't help myself.)  
**

**-Pyronite. Attack: 2. Defense: 3. Type: Meso-Titan warrior. Size: Large. Seeker: **Generic Titan among the Elementals, issued to low level recruits. Pyronite can be best described as a shambling pile of metal and fire. It's very durable, but its clumsiness impedes its offensive abilities.****

****-Lightning Ant. Attack: 1. Defense: 1. Type: Swara-Titan warrior. Size: Small. Special ability: Lightning shot. Seeker: Evan Haley. Lightning ant is a small and relatively weak titan, whose only redeeming feature is its ability to fire small bolts of electricity at its enemies, which most titans can shrug off fairly easily. Overall, a very weak Titan. ****

****-Forest Ranger. Attack: 4. Defense: 3. Type: Gaia-Titan warrior. Size: Average. Special ability: Sharpshooter. Seeker: Tristan MacBaen. Forest Ranger is Robin Hood. I think that's really all that needs to be said.****

**This ends the Holotome segment. I hope you liked this chapter and I plan to have more soon. See everyone next time.**


	2. In the Shadow of the Mountain

**Disclaimer: I don't own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers. **

**I don't really have anything to say here, so I won't.**

**On with the story!**

Three Titans. Four enemy Seekers. This was too easy. Tristan allowed himself a small smile as he crept into position. Forest Ranger was already stationed in a tree overlooking the battlefield, and Lightning Ant was protecting Evan. It was time to move.

"Shadowspeed!" Tristan said, dashing forward at inhuman speeds. He was on his first opponent before they even knew he was there.

"Wha-" His victim was cut off as Tristan delivered a deft jab to his forehead. His eyes rolled back and he crumpled to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The other three turned to face him.

Arrows flew like a swarm of wasps, destroying both of the Salamandrai. More arrows hailed down upon the Pyronite, but burned up when they hit.

Tristan ducked a punch, rolled away from a kick, and grabbed the arm of the third man and twisted. There was an audible pop as the man's shoulder was dislocated. He fell to the ground sobbing in pain. Tristan leapt over him, then relocated his shoulder with a swift kick to the back. The man passed out from the pain.

One of the other two robed men had turned away from Tristan, towards Forest Ranger's hiding place. "Hyperstride!" He shouted before leaping away like a frog.

"Bladewave!" Tristan yelled, pointing his hand at the fleeing figure. Dark waves of energy flew from his hand towards his opponent. One of the blades caught him in mid air, flinging him across the grassy landscape. He landed hard and did not get up. Tristan turned back to face his last opponent.

Second to last actually. The Pyronite had finally realized the problem and joined the final Seeker.

"Augerfrost!" Tristan yelled, a ball of blue energy forming in his hand. A line of light flew from the ball to the walking slag heap. The Pyronite simply stood there, steam rising from where the spell had struck it. Tristan's eyes widened.

"Touchram." A blast of green energy flew from his hand slammed into the metal of the Titan's form. Arrows continued to rain down upon it from Forest Archer, but to no effect.

"You fool!" The man yelled. "Pyronite is immune to your puny attacks!" He pulled out another Amulet. "Impale, Str-"

"Raypulse!" A voice shouted from behind him. A bolt of yellowish energy knocked the amulet from his hand. Cecilia was back on her feet, although somewhat shakily.

"You!" The man turned to the Pyronite. "Get her!"

The lumbering beast bore down upon the grinning girl. Before it could reach her though, Cecilia's hand flashed. "No!" She yelled. "I don't want your help!"

Too late. A lightly armored woman appeared, holding a single sword.

"Sabriel, return!"

Tristan could only stare as the Titan smiled cheekily at her Seeker. He'd never seen a Titan behave like this before.

"Ha! You can't even control your own Titan!"

"She's not mine, she's my mom's. And I wish she'd go back to mom."

"Pyronite, crush them!"

The beast lumbered forwards, but Sabriel leapt over its head, slicing her blade across its back in a blinding arc. Cut in half, it fell to the ground. First one half, then the other. Then it turned back into a ball of light, returning to the amulet it had come from.

Tristan delivered a solid punch to the back of the man's head, and the fight was over.

"Sabriel, return!"

This time the Titan obeyed. It too turned into nothing more than a ball of light, but rather than return to an amulet it flew into Cecilia's hand.

"Sabriel. Always ruining everything."

"She just saved your life." Tristan said as he returned Forest Ranger to its amulet.

"So?"

"So maybe you should be grateful?"

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much!"

"It certainly didn't look like it."

"I had the situation under control!"

"You were unconscious."

"I would have won!"

Tristan raised an eyebrow.

"...Okay, maybe not. Thanks for helping me."

"You're welcome. Now let's tie these guys up."

"Hey, Tristan, you were amazing out there!" Evan said as he ran up. Then he caught sight of Cecilia. "Oh." He said in a small voice.

"What's your problem?" Cecilia asked. "And who are you two anyways?"

"I'm Tristan, and this is Evan. And you are?"

"Cecilia."

"Glad to meet you." He pulled a length of rope from his jacket. "Ropetrick!" The rope seemed to take on a life of its own, grabbing each of the four Elementals and binding them together. He repeated the process with the three enemies Cecilia had taken out.

"That should do it."

"You're just showing off for the girl." Evan whispered.

"What?"

"She's kind of cute, but not really my type."

"...Why did I rescue you again?"

"Hey, there are more of them inside the volcano!" Cecilia said.

"I'll deal with them. You keep an eye on the ones out here."

"What? I'm going in too!"

"You're in no shape for a fight."

"Yes I am!"

"You were just beaten up, used all of your magic, and unless I miss my guess, all of your powerful titans." Cecilia just glared at him. "You're staying out here."

"...Fine."

"Before I go..." Tristan reached down and grabbed the Amulet the Elemental had been trying to invoke. "Sorrowbond." A faint sphere of energy formed around it, severing its connection with the fallen Seeker. Tristan turned to Evan.

"Try this." He handed the amulet over. When Evan touched it, a bright light flashed from the connection point. Tristan released the spell, leaving the Amulet bonded to Evan.

"What is this?" Evan asked.

"A Strix amulet. It can summon up to three large insects, each capable of taking out a single Titan. Only use it in an emergency."

"So what now?"

"Now I go inside that mountain." Tristan turned to the mouth of the lava tube.

"...Wait. If you're going in after them, you'll need this." Cecilia grabbed an Amulet from her bag and threw it to Tristan. "Take good care of it. It belonged to my father."

"...Thank you." Tristan entered the tunnel.

**A/N: Yes, Sabriel resides in Cecilia's hand. This happens to be the same Sabriel who used to be Sophie's Titan. Detailed explanation of how the heck this happened will take place at a later date. And yes, she did invoke herself. As I said, explanation later.**

**The plural of Salamandros is Salamandrai. Deal with it.**

**That's everything for now. Good grief, that makes three fight scenes already. I hate writing fight scenes. At least here I can fall back on what I call "The Law of Realistic Martial Arts" where the first solid blow to get through ends the fight. Long, drawn out fights are complete garbage anyways. They only happen when either both sides are miserably bad or both sides are extremely good. And now I'm ranting. See you all later.**


	3. Burning Conflict

**Disclaimer: I don't own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers.**

**Seriously guys, I really do like reviews. One per chapter, that's all I'm asking. I'm still learning, just like anyone else, and if I don't get feedback it's hard for me to tell what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. I won't hold the story hostage, but reviews do help inspire me to write. Without reviews this is going to be a slow trip. You have been warned.**

Tristan paused for a moment as the tiny fox Titan once again leapt forward to disable some sort of trap. Cecilia had been right, without Springer here he'd have died half a dozen times already. The Elementals clearly didn't want anyone following them. Springer looked back up at him and nodded. Tristan continued forwards.

A faint light came from ahead, turning the tunnel red. He was getting close. He'd have to be careful. Eight seekers was a lot, even for him. "Camoforge." He whispered. His body seemed to ripple and vanish as the spell took hold. He snuck into the lava chamber.

A small island sat in the middle of a moat of lava. A trio of amulets were embedded in the marble pillar atop the island. One looked like an Ignatius Amulet. Not his target then. He didn't recognize the second one, but the third was the Amulet he'd been sent here to retrieve. Darkwing.

The Elementals clustered at the edge of the lava. "I will retrieve the prize, Edward. You will stay here."

"As you wish my lady."

"You three, come with me!" She pointed at some of her minions. "Hyperstride!" They leapt across the lava, leaving Edward with three seekers, Pyrothon, and War Smith.

Tristan couldn't have asked for a better opportunity. Still invisible, he pulled an Amulet from his jacket. "Regain your honor, Ronin!"

A titan appeared. Dressed in dark red samurai armor and wielding a katana, it stepped forwards. Another, shorter sword was strapped to its waist. The mask of the helmet was a terrifying visage of twisted black metal.

"Shadowknife!" A dark dagger flew from Tristan's hand, striking one of the lesser Elementals in the shoulder. He screamed in pain as the blade went home, falling to the ground.

"Get that titan!" Edward yelled. "And find its Seeker!"

Tristan quickly moved away from Ronin, circling around behind the Elementals. Ronin had engaged the other two titans. The clang of metal and Pyrothon's hisses filled the chamber.

"Double Spell, Nullcurse!" Two reddish black orbs flew from Tristan's still invisible hands, striking the other two Elementals in the back. They fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Hexkill!" Edward shouted. Tristan became visible as his spell was broken.

"Hai!" Ronin sidestepped a deadly blow from War Smith before meeting Pyrothon's neck with its sword. Pyrothon returned to its amulet as Ronin and War Smith continued their duel.

"You're good." Edward said.

"Thank you."

"Then you won't mind if we put your skills to the test."

"Not at all."

The two leapt towards each other, fists flying. Tristan's snap kick was brushed aside, and he had to quickly duck to avoid his opponent's punch. They moved with a speed most people couldn't even follow, let alone match, countering each other blow for blow. Nothing got through. This was unacceptable.

"Sorry to have to cheat, but you do have me outnumbered." Tristan said. "Shadowspeed!" Tristan's punches came with a speed even Edward couldn't match, and he was forced onto the defensive. "Thundercut!" Tristan yelled, landing a solid blow that broke through Edwards defenses, flinging him across the ground. He struggled to rise, but collapsed before he could get to his feet.

He turned to the Titans. Just in time to see War Smith disarm Ronin. The hammer wielding warrior advanced on the empty-handed Titan.

"Ronin, Deathstroke!"

The Titan reached back and pulled out the shorter sword. Focusing all its power into the strike, it brought the sword up in an arc, slicing through War Smith's armor like it wasn't even there. Both Titan s fell to the ground, then returned to their amulets.

"Great." Tristan muttered. That was his last Titan. The other Elemantals leapt back across, lead by Ivain.

"Your interference will not be tolerated." Ivain said. "Get him."

"Redcap!"

Another monster appeared. Great. Just great. Four seekers he could handle. That titan could be a problem though. Then the three Elemental charged him, and everything became a blur.

* * *

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Evan asked.

"Against those losers?" Cecilia snorted. "He'll be fine."

"Didn't 'those losers' beat you?"

"It was an ambush! That doesn't count!"

"Whatever you say." Evan turned back to the tunnel entrance. "I'm just worried about him."

"If I were you I'd be more worried about myself." A voice came from behind them. Three robed figures jumped over a ledge. "You got away from us once kid. This time, your friend isn't here to protect you."

"You'll have to fight me then." Cecilia said. "Come on!"

"With pleasure! Marauder!"

"Mindrone!"

"Harlequin!"

The three titans appeared.

"Give us the amulet kid, and we'll let you go."

"What about her?"

"She'll be going to the boss. Now hand it over!"

"Gentlemen, lady, I suggest you leave my sister alone." A voice came from behind them. A cold anger filled it, creeping down their spines. They turned. A slight young man stood before them. A bit younger than Cecilia and much less athletic looking, he didn't seem at all intimidating.

"Adrian!" Cecilia cried out in a mixture of relief and worry.

"Well, well, well boys." The woman said. "Looks like we get two for the price of one."

Adrian smirked.

* * *

Tristan was amazed at just how clumsy these seekers were. He delivered a punch to the lead seeker's head, knocking her out. They didn't stand a chance against someone with his training, and they went down with alarming ease.

He jumped and spun, kicking his second opponent in the back. "I've seen mall cops better at fighting than you guys!" He exclaimed in mild irritation. He dropped to the ground, slipping under the last thug's kick. He reached up, grabbed the man's ankle, spun, and threw him into his own Titan. Both went down. Tristan rushed over. "Dragonfist!" His hand glowed as he punched the Titan in the face, returning it to its amulet.

"Give it up lady." Tristan said. "You don't stand a chance."

Ivain backed away, staring at the young man who'd single-handedly broken her squad.

"I thought so. Hyperstride!" He leapt over the lava and grabbed the amulets from the pillar. A stone covered in carved symbols sat atop the pillar. He grabbed that too. "Hyperstride!" He jumped back over the lava, leaving seven groaning Elementals and their dumbfounded leader behind.

* * *

"Double Spell, Clatterbang!" Adrian yelled. Noise and light assaulted the two men, rendering them dazed and helpless, but the woman stepped forwards.

"Get him!" She pointed at Adrian. The Titans advanced.

Adrian pulled an amulet from the pouch at his belt. "Ensorcel them, Thoth!" A man with a bird's face appeared beside him. Robed, it held a scroll in one hand and a staff in the other. "Thoth, Shattercast!"

The bird-man raised his staff and pointed at the oncoming titans. The ground beneath them exploded, spitting fragments of rock everywhere. The Mindrone and Harlequin both vanished, but the Marauder's armor protected it from the worst of the blast. It kept coming.

"Double Spell, Kindlestrike!" Adrian shouted, firing two blue bolts from his hands. The two men he'd disabled earlier went down as the beams caught them in the chest.

"Augurfrost!" The woman shouted, firing her own beam back at Adrian.

"Honorguard!" The bolt bounced off the shield that sprang into existence around him."

"Impale, Strix!" Evan shouted. "Lightning Ant, Shockbolt!"

A bug the size of a pigeon burst from the amulet Evan was holding. It buzzed forwards at high speed, piercing the Marauder's armor like tissue paper. The Titan returned to its amulet as Lightning Ant fired a small bolt of electricity from its front legs, striking the woman in the back. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Nice moves." Adrian said.

"Thanks." Evan replied. "You too."

"Now, Cecilia, tell me what happened here. And before you try to tell me some outrageous story, remember that I feel no qualms about using Oathmaker on you."

Cecilia gulped.

* * *

Tristan emerged from the lava tube to see three people waiting for him.

"Hello, you must be Tristan."

"Yes..." Tristan said cautiously.

"I owe you a great debt for protecting my sister. My name is Adrian."

"Glad to meet you Adrian." Tristan pulled out two amulets from his jacket. "I brought presents." He tossed one amulet to Cecilia and the other to Evan. "Sorry, I didn't bring you anything."

"An Ignatius?!" Cecilia exclaimed in shock. "You're just giving it to me?"

"I don't want it."

"What is this?" Evan asked, holding up the amulet Tristan had given him.

"Let's find out." Adrian said. "Cyphersummon!" A blue laptop-like device appeared in his hands. He quickly scanned the Amulet. "Fire Ant." He said. "Try putting the two ant amulets together."

"Huh? Okay." Evan did as he was told. Much to his surprise, the moment the two amulets met they fused together, combining into a new amulet. "What just happened?"

"They now share the amulet." Adrian said. "It should make invoking them easier."

"If we're done with the lesson, can we get out of here?" Cecilia said. "I'm starving, and there's nothing to eat around here."

"Tristan, Evan, would you join us?"

"Sure!" Evan replied. "We'd love to!"

Tristan glared darkly at Evan for a moment, before he too agreed. "Alright then. Let's go."

**A/N: And that makes the full team. Cecilia and Adrian Lambert-Casterwill, Evan Haley, and Tristan MacBaen.**

**Activating Holotome:**

**-Ronin. Attack: 4. Defense: 3. Type: Yama-Titan warrior. Size: Average. Special ability: Deathstroke. Seeker: Tristan MacBaen. Ronin is an unusual titan in many respects. Unlike most titans which have their normal and powerbonded forms, Ronin actually has three forms. Details on that will come later. Ronin is a skilled swordsman, wielding a razor sharp katana with deadly effect. When out matched, Ronin can draw the smaller blade, called a wakizashi (no, I did not make that up), strapped to the back of its waist for a single deadly strike that will instantly defeat most titans. The downside is that doing so will immediately return Ronin to its amulet. Over all, Ronin is an excellent fighter, and even in defeat, it strikes back hard.**

**-Darkwing. Attack: 1. Defense: 1. Type: Gaia-Titan scout. Size: Small. Special ability: Flight. Seeker: Tristan MacBaen. Darkwing is a very big bat. That's about all there is to it. **

**-Thoth. Attack: 5. Defense: 2. Type: Hecto-Titan sorcerer. Size: Average. Special ability: Spellcaster. Seeker: Adrian Lambert-Casterwill. Thoth is a very powerful spellcasting Titan that makes up for its physical weakness with a plethora of magical abilities. Capable of attack, defense, healing, and even flight, Thoth is an extremely versatile Titan.**

**-Fire Ant. ****Attack: 1. Defense: 1. Type: Swara-Titan warrior. Size: Small. Special ability: Fire Shot. Seeker: Evan Haley. Basically Lightning Ant's more fiery twin, it's not going to win any strength contests, but it is another titan for Evan.******

******Deactivating Holotome.******

******That's about all for this chapter. Don't forget to leave a review letting me know how I did, and I'll see you all next time.******


	4. The Huntik Hotel

**Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers.**

**Let's get going.**

Evan and Tristan followed the two red-haired siblings to a hotel in Vancouver. The entrance was rather large and ornate, promising an opulent and lush experience.

"You've got to be kidding." Evan whispered as they walked in.

"Don't worry, our mom's the one paying for it." Cecilia said.

Evan just stared around, slackjawed as he took in the splendor of his surroundings.

"Come on, the dining area is this way." Adrian said.

"I'll be along in a minute." Tristan said, pulling a red holotome out of his jacket. "I have to make a call first."

"Alright, but don't take too long."

"Got it."

* * *

"So, I take it you've never been somewhere like this before." Adrian said.

Evan shook his head wordlessly.

"Vancouver is a Huntik base. The owner of this restaurant is a friend."

"Huntik?"

"Ah, right. You're new to being a seeker."

"There are different groups of Seekers around the world. We're part of the Huntik Foundation, like our parents were." Cecilia cut in.

"The Huntik Foundation, or as we usually refer to it, the Foundation, is dedicated to protecting the past and keeping Titans and Seekers a secret from the rest of the world."

"Why?" Evan asked.

"Why what?"

"Why keep it a secret?"

"Titans are dangerous and powerful things. They've been used to create empires, wage wars, and in attempts to conquer the world."

"Or destroy it."

"Thank you Cecilia, I was getting to that."

"Destroy the world?"

"Yes, there was a group of seekers called the Blood Spiral who were trying to bring back the Nullifiers and destroy the world, but our parents dealt with that twenty-five years ago. Now the Blood Spiral is broken and scattered."

"Nullifiers?"

"Oh boy..."

* * *

Tristan opened his holotome. Much to his surprise, his teacher had not been furious. In fact, he'd been quite pleased at the outcome of Tristan's mission.

"The Huntik Foundation can help you realize your purpose. Particularly those two." His teacher's hologram said.

"And just what is this 'purpose' you keep talking about?"

"If you ever learn of it it will be because I am dead."

"You're not particularly helpful."

"Indeed. Watch out for these Elementals. They could pose a threat."

"Do you know anything about them?"

"...No. I know plenty about the people who seem to make up their membership, but not much about them as an organization."

"Okay then."

"You should go now. Do not keep your new allies waiting. Remember, you are your own man now. I will not be there to guide you from now on."

His teacher's hologram winked out as he disconnected.

"Creepy and cryptic as ever. Twelve years of training and missions, and I still don't even know his name."

Tristan closed his holotome and stood up. He felt lost. For twelve years, he'd learned, he'd trained, he'd gone on several missions, all at his teacher's commands. Now he had no idea what to do with himself. Maybe the Foundation wasn't such a bad idea after all.

* * *

"You got all that?" Adrian asked.

"...Not really, but that's alright. I got enough."

"Good, because I do believe that's Tristan." Cecilia said.

Indeed it was. Tristan walked over to join them at their table. As though conjured by magic, a waiter appeared with menus. He introduced himself, placed the menus on the table, then vanished as suddenly as he'd appeared.

Tristan opened his menu.

"Who were you calling?" Adrian asked.

"My teacher. Former teacher now."

"Did something go wrong?" Evan asked.

"No. I graduated."

"Graduated?" Cecilia scoffed. "I bet I can take you with one hand behind my back!"

"I'll take that bet."

"You're on."

"Whenever you want is fine by me."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Will you two stop flirting and decide what you're going to order?" Evan said.

Cecilia and Tristan turned to the seventeen year old who had his face buried in his menu.

"First we teach him." Cecilia said.

"First we teach him." Tristen agreed.

"Decide what you're going to order." Adrian said. "Otherwise we'll be late for our meeting."

"Meeting?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, we're having a video conference with Dante Vale, the leader of the Huntik Foundation."

"Uncle Dante is the one who taught me how to fight. He's the best Seeker in the world." Cecilia said.

"He was before he retired from fieldwork anyways." Adrian continued. "These days it would be one of our parents."

"Alright then." Tristan picked up his menu. "Why is half of this in French and the other half in Italian?"

"Seekers run this hotel. Why settle for anything but the best food in the world?" Adrian said.

"I'm not a fan of French cooking." Tristan said, turning to the Italian section. "Lasagna it is."

"I'd be careful about that. They have Italian size portions..."

"Good. I'm hungry."

* * *

The waiter was a Titan. That was the only explanation Tristan could think of for how quickly he could appear and disappear. The meal was excellent, and the company was fine as well. Even if he did want to smack Evan a few times.

Adrian was brilliant. He knew more about Titans, seekers, and powers than anyone Tristan had ever encountered before. He'd even agreed to teach Tristan the Copykind power, which he had learned from Dante.

Cecilia was...confrontational. She had strong opinions, never backed down, and was clever to boot. She wasn't a walking encyclopedia like her brother, but she was still pretty smart.

Finally, they finished their meal. The waiter swiftly cleared away the plates, gathered up the bowls, and left them with the check. Cecilia paid, and they walked out of the dining hall.

"We have to meet with Dante in ten minutes." Adrian said turning to Tristan and Evan. "You should come too."

"Alright, where are we going to have this meeting?"

"I thought we'd take it to the private lounge for Seekers."

"You have a private lounge." Evan said. "In a fancy hotel."

"Yes, try to keep up." Cecilia snarked at him.

"I take it your family isn't the most wealthy." Adrian said.

"You could say that..." Evan said guardedly.

"Nothing to be ashamed of. Our dad grew up in a cottage."

"What about you Tristan?" Cecilia asked. "Anyone waiting for you?"

"Not anymore. I never knew my parents."

"Oh." She paused for a minute, then laughed. "Zhalia will love you!"

"Zhalia Moon?"

"Yes, how did you know about her?" Cecilia narrowed her eyes, suddenly suspicious.

"My teacher would talk about her every now and then. I think he knew her."

"Huh. You don't say." Adrian frowned.

"Is that supposed to mean something?"

"Well, Zhalia used to be part of the Organization before Grier took over. The she infiltrated the Blood Spiral. It could mean a lot of things."

"Don't we have a meeting to go to?"

"Right."

They hurried down the hallway until the reached a door marked "Staff Only" then opened it. A small room with cleaning supplies and an old, dead lightbulb lay behind it.

"Boltflare." Cecilia whispered, lighting the bulb. The wall behind it opened, revealing a comfortable looking lounge full of chairs. A pair of Seekers sat on the couch together. One was a man with short blond hair and a brown jacket. The other was a woman with long red hair.

"Mom, dad, when did you get back from Huntik?" Cecilia exclaimed.

**A/N: No action this time, just dialogue. My favorite kind of chapter. Unfortunately for me, the universe does not lend itself to such things, so expect lots of action sequences. ...Why are you all cheering?**

**For those who've never had the pleasure of having an Italian cook for them, let me explain. The food is great. Excellent. Outstanding. But they tend to make twice as much as you can eat. Then again, sometimes that's a good thing. Beating up twelve seekers will certainly work up an appetite.**

**That's it for now. Next chapter we meet Lok and Sophie. In their forties. This should be fun.**


	5. Welcome to the Foundation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers.**

**Still nothing much to say, so let's get a move on.**

"Mom, dad, when did you get back from Huntik?" Cecilia rushed over to hug her father.

"Just last night." Sophie said. "We thought we'd surprise you." She got up and hugged Adrian. "Who are these young men?" She asked, glancing at Tristan and Evan.

Cecilia disengaged from her father's embrace. "Mom, dad, this is Evan Haley and Tristan MacBaen."

Lok quickly, almost dismissively, looked Evan over. "New seeker?"

"Yep."

"I'll let Den know he's going to have another student." Sophie said.

Lok turned to Tristan. "You're not a new seeker, are you?"

"No sir."

"How long?"

"Twelve years."

"He's good." Adrian said. "He fought a dozen seekers today."

"Fifteen actually."

"I stand corrected. Fifteen."

"What?" Lok's eyes narrowed. "Who were you fighting? Blood Spiral Remnants?"

"Sort of." Cecilia said.

"Some of them were from the Blood Spiral. Others probably came from the Organization. They called themselves the 'Elementals'." Adrian explained.

"You should tell Dante about this." Sophie said. "Other seekers could be attacked by these Elementals."

"We have a meeting with him in just a few minutes."

"Good." Lok said. "By the way, was the mission a success?"

"Yes, we retrieved the Amulets from the volcano. Well, Tristan retrieved the amulets."

"What happened to the two of you?"

"I was delayed. Cecilia was ambushed by the Elementals. If Tristan hadn't rescued her I don't know what would have happened."

"I would have been fine!"

"Miss Lambert, you were unconscious and surrounded when I stepped in."

"I would have figured something out!"

"You'd already used three of your titans."

"I still would have won!"

"You'd already lost!"

"Not true!"

Tristan turned to Adrian. "Is she always like this?"

"Pretty much."

"How do you survive?"

"By being smarter than her."

"I heard that!"

"They were flirting over dinner too."

You could almost hear the screech as the conversation slammed to a stop.

"Evan. You're history." Tristan scowled.

"Mind if I help?" Cecilia asked.

"Easy, easy." Lok said.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lambert, I am so sorry." Tristan apologized. "Evan tends to just say whatever's on his mind. I'm starting to regret rescuing him too."

"That's alright." Lok said. "As long as you weren't actually flirting with my daughter."

"No sir!"

"Good." He turned back to his kids. "Your mom and I have a date planned, so we're going to be heading out now. If there's anything you need, just call."

"We're not kids anymore, dad." Cecilia said.

"No, but you'll always be my girl." Lok said, giving her a cheeky smile as he and Sophie left the lounge.

"Let's get the holotome set up for the conference." Adrian said.

* * *

"So your mission was a success?" Dante's hologram asked.

"Yes, but only because of Tristan here." Adrian said. "Without him, I expect the Elementals would have gotten the amulets."

"It's a good thing he showed up then." Dante's hologram turned to face Tristan. "You did well to take on all those seekers by yourself."

"I'm just glad I could help."

"Well your help is appreciated. Why did you give Cecilia the Ignatius amulet you found?"

"Because I didn't want it."

"And why is that?"

"Because random chaos and destruction isn't my style."

Cecilia glared at him, but Dante just smiled. "I see. You're picky about your titans, aren't you?"

"You could say that." Tristan said carefully. "I prefer to use titans don't attract a lot of attention."

"I take it you've spent a lot of time dealing with normal humans then?"

"Yes." Tristan glanced over at the still-glaring Cecilia. "It's easier to get people to forget about you if you avoid causing damage."

"Well said. That's a lesson some seekers never learn." Dante glanced down, then back up. "I have a meeting with Montahue in ten minutes so we're going to have to cut this short. Tristan, Evan, I would like to invite both of you to join the Huntik Foundation."

"Sure." Evan replied. "It sounds interesting."

"You'll have to talk to your parents." Dante said. "But telling them the truth may put them in even more danger."

"I'll think of something."

"Tristan?" Dante turned back to him.

"It's not like I have anything better to do with my life at the moment. Sure. I'll join."

"Good." Dante said. "The Foundation will see to providing you with anything you may need for your missions, and a modest living. Once Evan has settled things with his parents I'd like all four of you to come to New York. Welcome to the Huntik foundation."

**A/N: They've joined the Foundation. Now the real story can begin.**

**That's all for this chapter. Next chapter we get back to the action. I know, such a disappointment. Instead of this riveting dialogue, you're going to get high-speed, high-energy, high-stakes showdowns. Why does no one look upset?**


	6. Volcanic Ice

**Disclaimer: I don't own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers.**

**Well, it's been a while since I last updated here. I've been busy with some of my other stories and life has gotten in the way, but now we're back. Let's get going.**

"No! You put your left foot forward and then strike!" Tristan said in frustration. Evan was not a particularly apt pupil. "Try it again. From the top."

"You sure he's cut out for martial arts?"

"Professor Fears, you of all people should know how important the ability to defend yourself is."

"Yes, but not everyone has the temperament and talent for it." Professor Den Fears said.

"That may be true, but if he's ever going to go on a mission he's going to need to be able to defend himself!"

"Tristan, you need to calm down. He'll learn when he's ready." Den glanced at his watch, then back to Tristan. "Why don't I take over this session. You have an appointment with a certain red-haired lady."

"Cecilia's back from her mission?"

"Yes, she got back last night. I'm told she wants a rematch."

"Consider me gone then." Tristan took off towards the gym where the more advanced students trained. He always enjoyed his matches with Cecilia. They were probably the only thing that kept him from going completely stir crazy.

He and Evan had been at the Huntik HQ for four months. Evan had been getting training, but Tristan had nothing to do to occupy his time. Sure, he'd learned a few new powers, but he was itching to _do_ something. His bouts with Cecilia always helped calm him down.

He skidded to a stop, bare feet catching on the mat as he entered the gym. It was empty today, which, while not unheard of, was still uncommon. Cecilia stepped out of the changing room in her training outfit, her long hair pulled back in a pony tail. A black belt circled her white gi.

"Oh good, right on time. I was afraid I'd have to go looking for you."

"I hear you want a rematch?"

"I never accept defeat."

"Then let's take this to the mat."

The two stepped onto a mat with a ring pattern on it. Standing on opposite sides of the ring, the two bowed to each other before dropping into their guards.

"Ready?" Cecilia asked. Tristan nodded.

Cecilia struck first, bounding across the space between them with lightning speed, her arm moving for a quick palm strike to his chest. Ducking under the blow, he spun and grabbed her wrist. He tried to flip her over his shoulders, but she quickly disengaged, freeing her arm with a quick twist. They dropped back into their guards, circling like tigers.

* * *

Several hours later and they were both dripping with sweat and struggling for breath. Cecilia more so than Tristan, given that he was kneeling on her back, pinning her to the floor.

"How do you keep beating me?" She whined as he let her up. "We've fought eighteen times, and I've only won five!"

"I keep beating you because you're easy to predict."

"Hey!"

"It's the truth! You're too aggressive, always making the first move. Against most people you can get away with it because your skill is so much greater than their's, but against someone just as good..."

"You are _not_ 'just as good' as me!"

""You're right. I'm better."

"Why you-"

"Cessie!" A small girl's voice rang out. Acting on instinct, Tristan took a step back. An yellow-haired ball of energy came barreling past to crash into Cecilia.

"Oof." Cecilia caught the eight-year old girl and picked her up. "Hey there Nina. Wow, you've gotten big."

"Put me down!" Nina said indignantly.

"Okay then." Cecilia set the little girl down on her feet. "Where's Viviane?"

"Momma said she had to go talk with Uncle Dante. She told me to go find you and Adrian."

"I guess we'd better go find him then." She gave Tristan a look that said, "This isn't over."

Tristan just smiled.

"Cessie, who's this?"

"Huh? Oh, this is Tristan."

"Is he your friend?"

"Uh, I guess."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"Uh, no. Let's go find Adrian."

"Bye Tristan!"

Tristan smiled and waved.

* * *

"So, Lady Viviane Casterwill," Dante said as he sat down across the table from the Lady of the Lake, "what can I do for you?"

"I would like to borrow my cousins, Cecilia and Adrian for an investigation."

"May I ask where and why?"

"I'm sure you've heard of the recent volcanic activity in Iceland."

"I'm aware of it. Why is this important?"

"We believe they may be the result of seeker activities."

"And you want to investigate."

"I do."

"Why take Cecilia and Adrian?"

"Because I believe they've had dealings with the group we think may be behind these eruptions."

"The Elementals?"

"We only have a few fragmentary reports, but they mention strange people wearing red robes. I'd like to confirm this one way or another."

"...Very well, but there's another seeker I want you to take. Two in fact."

"Who?"

"A pair of new recruits. One is a kid named Evan who discovered the world of seekers just a few months ago. This will be his first mission."

"And the other?"

"The seeker who brought him in, a young man named Tristan."

"Why do you want me to take him?"

"Because I'm not sure I trust him."

"Explain."

"I don't know where he came from, who trained him, or anything beyond the fact that his powers would indicate that he's either from the Organization or the Blood Spiral."

"Then why let him into Huntik HQ?"

"Because he saved Cecilia's life and retrieved an Ignatius for us, while overcoming the Elementals."

"Ah, that Tristan. Sophie mentioned him to me."

"What does she think?"

"She said he reminded her of Zhalia. She didn't say if that was a good thing or not."

"That makes me more suspicious, not less." Dante turned away, stroking his beard. "Sophie's a good judge of character. Zhalia eventually became her friend."

"And your wife." Viviane pointed out.

"True."

"Speaking of which, how is she?"

"Oh, getting by. It's not easy raising three seekers."

"You mean it's not easy raising three boys."

"That too."

"So, you want me to take Tristan with me?"

"Yes. Keep an eye on him. I'd certainly like to trust him, but his circumstances are suspicious."

"Alright, but you owe me for this one Dante Vale."

"I thought you still owed me for that whole business with-"

"That was twenty-five years ago Dante." Viviane interrupted. "That debt is long since paid."

"Well what about that time in Mexico?"

"Brazil."

"Nova Scotia?"

"Korea."

"Spain?"

"Cuba."

"China?"

"Okay, I still owe you for that one."

"Good. I assume you can make all the necessary arrangements?"

"Of course."

"By the way, it's good to see you again."

"Likewise."

* * *

"Did you hear? Did you hear?" Evan charged into Tristan's room. Tristan had long since changed out of his training gear and was now amusing himself by watching TV.

"Evan, I realize you feel the need to blurt out whatever's on your mind at all times, but I really don't need the latest gossip."

"It's not gossip, and it's about us!"

"Okay, go ahead." Tristan said, shaking his head. He knew he'd regret this.

"We're going on a mission!"

"What? When?"

"Now." A woman with orange hair appeared in the doorway. "Pack your things. We're leaving for Iceland in two hours."

"And you are?"

"Viviane Casterwill. I'll be leading this expedition. Now start packing."

They started packing.

**A/N: Off to Iceland for their first real mission. Well this should be fun. Assuming Cecilia and Tristan don't kill each other first.**


End file.
